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The author of this commentary is CEO of Access Europe. Access Europe launched the first mobile web browser in the 1980s and now facilitates media consumption outside of the home and in the connected car.

As we enter a new era of driving experiences, basic radio and rather awkward bring-your-own-devices (BYOD) are unlikely to satisfy drivers and passengers as the only forms of in-car entertainment.

Today’s consumers want access to all the services they are currently using on their phone and at home while on the road, the car original equipment manufacturers understand this and are all evaluating the best way to deliver on the potential of the connected car concept. As BMW board member, Pieter Nota, suggests: “It’s not just about having big screens in your vehicle, it’s about the content you can have on those screens and what you can offer that’s so important, in terms of things like the best possible integration of music in your vehicle.”

The combination of smart software with stable 4G and advanced 5G cellular networks unlocks a future in which the car becomes an OEM-branded communications hub that offers entertainment, BYOD access and value-added services.

The relatively low cost of shipping 4G systems in a car has already seen a rise in its inclusion in next-generation vehicles. Around 75% of cars will be connected to the internet by 2025, and connected functionality has moved up the list of features consumers value. A 2018 survey by mobile app developer Metova found over half of consumers have a car that connects to the internet through their mobile device and 33% prefer streaming audio over radio largely due to convenience.

While 66% of buyers are increasingly prepared to change their entertainment service providers and content packages for one that is available in their vehicle in order to gain better connectivity and seamless access to in-car entertainment.

5G Mobility Benefits

4G networks are already widely deployed and provide a pathway for high-speed connectivity across audio, compressed video and two-way communication for BYOD and onboard apps. In Europe, new car models approved for manufacture after March of 2018 must have the 112-based eCall emergency number system installed which uses a cellular modem within each vehicle.

Although 4G is ideal for streaming low bandwidth content, the cellular connectivity that will be fitted into all new cars is likely to be 5G ready — allowing a software/SIM upgrade to take advantage of new networks as they arrive to the market.

This move to 5G is more than just a gimmick; due to the short wavelength of 5G radio signals, cars with larger and better-integrated radio antennas will be able to transfer data at higher speeds with lower congestion at lower latencies and thus offer superior reception than that of smartphones. With the car acting as a reliable 5G access point, the ability to project a Wi-Fi hotspot for occupants provides increased reliability and performance across the entire journey for drivers and passengers alike.

With connectivity built in, automobiles finally gain several real-time capabilities that aid driver comfort, safety and utility. From instant updates for traffic and route guidance, to delivering new forms of infotainment such as streaming audio services and video for rear-seat passengers. 5G means, that for example, the car’s Wi-Fi and its built-in in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system will be able to seamlessly blend different audio inputs from national and local HD Radio, from across the world, to Spotify and to a much greater standard than streaming directly from your mobile device.

[Related: Read more articles about radio and the connected car.]

IVI acts already as a connectivity hub allowing various media formats — via Bluetooth and USB drives — to be merged into a single source of entertainment. The next-generation IVIs will also be a central access point to the services offered by the OEMs, allowing them to shape these in the most attractive and efficient way for the driver and passengers.

Infotainment Unlocked

The connected car approach will also allow car brands to offer integrated infotainment services through partnerships with existing or emerging music and radio services. In a similar paradigm to the smartphone market, vehicles are likely to be a showroom with connected services that are enabled through activating pre-downloaded apps within the IVI — along with companion apps for mobile devices. Playing a key role in how car brands are perceived.

As the automotive and digital media industries continue to evolve, car manufacturers are recognizing that the key to differentiating themselves is in building digital and software-based services around the car. But unlocking the potential for creating new relationships with drivers and building customer loyalty is through entertainment and next-generation radio services. This means the way we use cars is about to change and for the audio industries, this presents a unique opportunity to evolve its offerings, enter new territory and keep its services at the heart of the driving experience.

Comment on this or any article. Email radioworld@futurenet.com with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject field.

 

The post Entertainment Content for the Connected Car appeared first on Radio World.

Visual content in the car is becoming more and more important.

 

The author is project director of RadioDNS. His commentaries appear regularly in Radio World.

RadioDNS has a mission to accelerate the growth of hybrid radio by establishing standards that reduce the costs and complexity of implementation. There’s growing adoption of our technical standards, but not all the impediments to growth are technical.

Radio receivers used to be simple devices. They varied in terms of support for FM/AM, stereo and RDS, but the broadcaster could generally be confident that what they transmitted was what the listener heard. As radio receivers have added more functionality, the opportunities for the listener experience to diverge from what the broadcaster intended has increased.

Sometimes this divergence is simply a misunderstanding. Many auto manufacturers started to include radio station logos in their cars, which made radio more visually appealing, but they didn’t realize how frequently stations and logos change, so they made no provision for the logos to be updated.

Logos got out of date, or entirely wrong as stations rebranded, and broadcasters became frustrated that they couldn’t fix it. With the best intentions, manufacturers had implemented a great idea very badly.

[Related: “Hybrid Radio Picks Up Momentum”]

Conversely, many broadcasters tried to circumvent restrictions on displaying dynamic text in the vehicle by “scrolling” their RDS station names, in complete contravention to the standards. As well as being a generally pretty poor experience, it frustrated manufacturers’ development of better interfaces to broadcast radio, and even regressed radio in some vehicles. Some broadcasters even misused the emergency signaling protocols to “hijack” listeners to their stations.

Most controversially, a radio was released that supported album art/visual content from radio stations, but utilized an internet connection to add preroll audio adverts to broadcast radio, and insert advertising into the radio station’s visual stream, without a station’s knowledge.

Mistakes have been made on both sides. Some times with good intent, sometimes not so. But each time the assumption was “this will be OK.”

Tuner list, DAB FM

Our latest activity is to be clearer about what “OK” looks like for radio, recognizing that the opportunity for there to be disagreements about what “OK” is has grown in line with the additional functionality that connectivity brings. Whilst our scope is hybrid radio, we think some of our thinking might also be useful for streaming and digital broadcast radio.

Our “Radio Device Metadata Terms” is an attempt to codify acceptable use of content made available by radio stations for radio devices.

It’s a standard template agreement that broadcasters can adopt if they think it describes how they’d like their metadata and content to be used. We think a standard is valuable because it dramatically reduces the complexity of working out what “OK” looks like, and establishes a consistency that allows manufacturers to make a radio that works for the majority of radio stations globally.

Much of it is pretty obvious: Don’t change the radio station logos, don’t edit or rewrite content provided by the radio station. Don’t add your own unauthorized content (or advertisements) to a radio station’s content.

Some of this is putting into writing things that should be clear now. The radio station should have all the necessary rights to distribute the metadata and content, and they should stick to the technical standards. They should be reasonable about how long content (like logos) can be stored before it’s deleted.

Nevertheless, it has taken time to consult and discuss these issues with all the stakeholders, because it inevitably creates some changes and places some (reasonable) restrictions in place in order to get consistency. We’ve taken input and circulated multiple drafts of the agreement so that people can understand how it will help and affect them.

We hope to publish the first version of Radio Device Metadata Terms on our website in the autumn. The key attributes are:

• It is a standard document which broadcasters and manufacturers can refer to, but RadioDNS isn’t a party to any agreement. Our role is to enable the market, but not participate or intermediate.
• Broadcasters can voluntarily adopt it by linking to it from their RadioDNS metadata. If a broadcaster adopts it, manufacturers should abide by it, but RadioDNS won’t be a party to resolving any disputes.
• If a manufacturer agrees with the terms, they can use all the content from any broadcaster globally offered under the terms.
• The terms don’t cover all use cases, and they don’t preclude any cases. If a broadcaster and manufacturer want to do something outside the scope of the terms, they can create their own agreement between them. That could be by extending the terms, or completely replacing it.

We’ll be providing guidance on how to implement the terms to both broadcasters and manufacturers. We hope it allows broadcasters and manufacturers to move forward with hybrid radio faster, with fewer chances of misunderstandings. We expect it to be widely adopted during 2021.

You can learn more at the Radio Device Metadata Terms portion of our website.

RadioDNS is funded by its members, and provides a uniquely non-partisan environment for stakeholders to discuss and resolve issues surfaced by the evolution of broadcast radio enabled by combined broadcast and IP. We’re really proud that our members represent every sector of the global broadcast radio industry.

Comment on this or any story. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post RadioDNS Aims to Establish Metadata Consistency appeared first on Radio World.

With this issue, Radio World expands its readership to the international broadcast engineering community. We welcome the new readers to Radio World’s longest-running feature Workbench, and look forward to interacting with you, sharing tips and suggestions that make your job easier and more efficient.

MOVs

Longtime Workbench contributor and Malaysia resident Paul Sagi has been editing local science textbooks and scientific research papers in a variety of fields since retiring from broadcast and computer work.

Paul writes that much in life depends on timing. Since electric surges travel at a finite speed, the speed of current through the conductor, which is estimated at 98% of the speed of light, MOVs (Metal Oxide Varistors) must switch on fast — in nanoseconds.

Surge suppression is a race between the surge current impulse and the MOV. Placement of the MOV has to be between the power (or data) input and the protected components. It must be close enough to the power (or data) input, and far enough from the protected electronic components, that the MOV can be turned on (or at least turning on) before the surge reaches the components.

In Paul’s case, he placed the MOV right next to the phone line input of a DSL splitter, not 3/4 of an inch  away. He drilled holes through the printed circuit board (PCB) of his DSL splitter to add an MOV right next to the phone line jack. While inside, he replaced the original GDTSS (gas discharge tube surge suppressor) with a MOV because the MOV has a much quicker response time.

On the way to the DSL splitter, the phone line (Cat-5e Ethernet cable, green/white pair) passed through a surge suppressor he made with a 130V MOV. Between the DSL splitter and the modem was (you guessed it) another MOV surge protector and more Cat-5e Ethernet cable, green/white pair.

This brings to four the number of MOVs that Paul installed to take the punches from the lightning. Paul reports that over the years, he’s lost an MOV or two but never a modem. Timing is everything.

Paul also has an APC by Schneider Electric. The model is EasyUPS BV650I-MS UPS/AVR combo, and it works well. But even though Paul bought it from a Malaysian chain of computer stores, it was supplied with USA power outlets. The electrical outlets in Malaysia are the British type. The tip here is to have a good adapter for your AC cables.

Head for the Tunnel

Fig. 1: Tunnel Tape keeps cables in place without the sticky residue. 

Fighting the gummy residue after duct taping remote broadcast cabling on the floor or pavement is the bane of most remote engineers. The problem easily disappears with Tunnel Tape.

This patented, 3-inch-wide tape has adhesive only on its edges. This creates a stick-free “tunnel” in the center of the tape, where wires and cables can pass and not be affected by the adhesive on the edges.

The tape has some other benefits as well: You can easily tear the tape by hand, it is puncture-resistant, and it can be lifted and repositioned several times without losing adhesion.

A 3-inch by 40-foot roll runs just under $25. For larger cable bundles, the tape is available in 4-inch widths, at a slight increase in price.

Specifications and ordering information can be obtained at www.cableorganizer.com/tunnel-tape.

Low-Cost Software

Florida projects engineer Dan Slentz alerts readers to more free and low-cost metering software! This time it’s from UK-based Darkwood Designs  (www.darkwooddesigns.co.uk), which offers a variety of software meters including VU, PPM, multi-channel level meters, all supported by Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8 / 10  only.

From the home page, click on “More PC Software” to download a slick Audio Test Generator. This level meter includes a digital readout and is combined with a Sine Wave Test Generator. Ideal software for your shop, workbench or laptop for field applications.

Dan also came across a new and useful YouTube video for owners of Moseley 6000 series studio/transmitter links. It describes the process to change operating frequencies on this equipment, but it also includes useful servicing tips. To find the video, enter “Moseley 6000 Series STL Pair Frequency Change” in the YouTube search block.

Another Software Tip

Readers may remember Dan’s earlier submission of free drawing software, similar to Visio, called Draw.IO.

The company has released another free software version called Flowchart Maker & Online Diagram Software. It’s ideal for developing flowcharts and other engineering diagrams.

Here’s the link.

Put it in the Dryer

San Diego’s Marc Mann found Bill Fike’s suggestion of using a clothes dryer to persuade AC cord sets to relax a great idea.

Fig. 2: Marc’s dryer rack. Use caution when using the rack on some older Maytags to unkink your cables.

However, Marc urges caution. Bill’s model Maytag is similar to Marc’s 16-year-old Maytag.  The drying rack in that model and other early models were the subject of factory recalls, because when mounted, they allow lint to bypass the filter and accumulate in various areas of the heating and vent train, possibly causing a fire during normal use.

Marc’s model (Fig. 2) requires the user to remove the filter to mount and utilize the rack. The issue is that anything that would come loose while drying would pass directly through and likely get lodged in the squirrel cage fan. Bill’s model evidently uses a different rack mounting method.

Anyone who has the older style of dryer, which requires removal of the lint filter for rack use, should ensure they first remove any adhesive labels on the cords, which once heated could come loose and cause issues as they float around inside the dryer.

John Bisset has spent over 50 years in the broadcasting industry and is still learning. He handles western U.S. radio sales for the Telos Alliance. He holds CPBE certification with the Society of Broadcast Engineers and is a past recipient of the SBE’s Educator of the Year Award. Workbench submissions are encouraged and can be emailed to: johnpbisset@gmail.com.

The post Workbench: Welcoming a World of New Readers appeared first on Radio World.

The author is director of engineering for the WXPN Radio Network.

PHILADELPHIA — WXPN(FM) is a long-time user of Logitek consoles — and by “long-time” I mean decades.

I arrived at the station in February, 2002. At that time we were looking at products to replace an aging Logitek Perfectionist console. We’ve used the original ROC-10, Remora, and Numix consoles at our facility since 2002. Their long life is backed up by the fact that our original Remora-4, purchased 18 years ago, is still in service!

Last year, we decided it was time to replace the two remaining Numix-12 consoles that had been installed in 2004, and of course we checked out Logitek to see what was available from them. We wanted to have a similar feature set to the Numix but with a smaller footprint — however, we didn’t want to lose any physical controls such as the number of faders on the surface. Having the console sit on the tabletop rather than requiring a furniture cutout was also an important consideration for us.

Our search resulted in the purchase of two Helix-12 consoles. The Helix series is Logitek’s entry into touchscreen control of audio consoles, and it’s nice. These consoles provide really easy access to bus assignments, EQ, limiter and compressor controls. Our two new Helix units are in the backup on-air control room, which is mostly used for production, and in our newly redesigned “World Café” production studio. “World Café” is produced by WXPN and distributed by NPR to over 200 U.S. radio stations.

I’ve been working with Tag Borland and John Davis at Logitek for my entire time at WXPN. They have guided me through my initial introduction to the world of networked audio systems, two major system expansions, multiple upgrades, and thousands of questions. It’s rare to nonexistent to work with the same people at the same company for so long. Their knowledge of the product, ease of accessibility for support and pleasant and calm demeanor is unmatched in the industry.

With this installation, since we were dealing primarily with a console replacement in each studio, we really didn’t need assistance from the factory. My only issue was a problem with source names not displaying — but if I had read the manual, I would have saved myself and John a five-minute phone conversation.

We have a range of users at WXPN, ranging from college students who have never entered a radio station to serious radio veterans. They’ve always enjoyed our Logitek consoles, but of all the different features offered over the years, I’ve received the most positive comments on the touchscreen features on the Helix. It’s so much easier for users to access the various controls, and something as basic as panning two sources opposite to each other during a recording for easier post production is now used more often than ever. We also rely on aux sends for a handful of important tasks, and our users have commented that the way the touchscreen displays the on/off status along with the touch controls is superior to the mechanical push button type on older consoles.

Logitek continues to be a very good value for the money, and it’s a pleasure to work with them.

Radio World User Reports are testimonial articles intended to help readers understand why a colleague chose a particular product to solve a technical situation.

For information, contact John Davis at Logitek Electronic Systems in Texas at 1-713-664-4470 or visit www.logitekaudio.com.

The post User Report: WXPN Upgrades With Logitek Helix appeared first on Radio World.

The author is membership program director of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters. NFCB commentaries are featured regularly at www.radioworld.com.

Recently it was announced that some of the biggest radio networks in the United States had agreed to terms with the Federal Communications Commission over failures related to the Electronic Public Inspection File system. The situation is an important reminder of several matters.

What is the issue? In February, Alpha Media, Beasley Media, Cumulus Media, Entercom, iHeartMedia and Salem Media Group informed the FCC that they had detected omissions in reporting related to the EPIF’s political file requirements. These regulations for commercial broadcasters are most interesting to the public for transparency purposes, as they provide a glimpse into ad spending by political candidates.

Closer to November, it’s a safe bet political files will be watched by journalists and the public. Earlier this winter? Maybe not as much, which may explain the FCC’s light touch as far as penalties go — no fines, and simply securing a commitment to do better.

[Read: Community Broadcaster: Turned Up]

Pockets in the commercial and noncommercial radio world have blanched at this decision for good reason. Although the FCC was rather generous to give leeway due to the pandemic, these issues were reported more than a month before shutdowns and presumably caught much earlier. However, admonishments by the FCC rather than fines over political file issues are not without precedent. Last October, the FCC reprimanded several stations rather than issue fines. In December, two Georgia television stations also received FCC rebuke, but no fines, for political file violations.

Although the commission has been benevolent as far as financial penalties in recent months — the dramatic fine reduction for two Boston pirate radio operators being among the marquee examples — every station should assume such relaxed discipline over EPIF violations will only last so long.

What do noncommercial broadcasters need to know about the EPIF? In general, full-power stations are required to keep a variety of records for public review, including contour maps, ownership reports, Equal Employment Opportunity records and Programs/Issues Reports (essentially demonstrations of the educational nature of your broadcasts). Many records must be collected quarterly, although altered operations have changed timetables in a few instances. Then, you must upload those documents to the FCC’s EPIF database and provide a link from your website to your file there.

Low-power broadcasters are not required by the FCC to keep a public inspection file, but, like full-power stations, must keep a political file and maintain those records going back two years. Inside of a station’s political file is your quarterly history related to underwriting, airtime requests, appearances by candidates and documentation of air times and dates for same.

As a former program director, I can tell you the political file was one of the more irksome beasts during the election season. There is no shortage of candidates who wanted interviews, underwriters clamoring to have their say, and forums to be held. However, it was nevertheless important for the station. It was even more important for the public, as a device for democracy.

Fines or lack thereof may draw eyes and ears, but let us always keep in mind the importance of these sometimes overlooked records to our communities and country.

The post Community Broadcaster: Devices for Democracy appeared first on Radio World.

The authors of this commentary are SVP, Broadcast Radio, and SVP, Engineering-Digital Platforms of Xperi, respectively.

When the COVID-19 pandemic was at its most critical early phase, consumers went to radio for local and accurate information.

During the recent protests? Radio was the choice for listeners in search of consistently useful updates.

After all, the internet and social media aren’t as effective at cutting through the noise and sharing relevant information; television is too broad, slow and methodical in its programming.

Though formats may have changed over time, the unique way radio delivers content makes radio a trusted friend in times of need.

According to Nielsen, eight out of 10 radio listeners were either listening to radio more or the same amount during the early part of the COVID-19 crisis — with 28% saying they were listening to radio more than usual and 60% of listeners reporting that they greatly respect and trust their local radio stations to provide late-breaking updates for their community.

And, some local radio stations saw huge upticks: KFI and KNX in Los Angeles were significantly up from earlier in the year, according to the Los Angeles Daily News in late May.

Radio has also proven adept at getting and keeping the attention of consumers. And, while radio is primarily an audio media, thanks to advances in digital broadcasting, broadcasters are now able to enhance their audio messages with text and visual information to create a complete information experience that reinforces each message for even greater engagement, with important ramifications for PSAs.

This convergence of digital technology with the audio format of radio has increased brand recall by up to 1,500% when compared to audio-only messaging, and, according to Xperi research, improves message recall. In one study, there’s a 12% lift among millennials:

All of which means greater opportunities to get public service messages out during the pandemic — and making them stick.

HD Radio PSAs: Essential Community Tools in a Crisis

At Xperi, we have a unique perspective on how radio is used during this crisis, and how HD Radio has been a game-changer. Broadcasters are frequently updating their listeners — from school and business closings to hot-spot surges and reminders on how to be safe and protect the most vulnerable.

With HD Radio, which is in over 65 million vehicles on the road in the United States, broadcasters are serving their communities by enhancing audio PSA messages about the virus with text and visuals to more easily get their attention and hold it, such as illustrations of the six-foot social distancing rule.

To understand the degree to which broadcasters used HD Radio metadata to convey information related to the virus — from hand-washing to social distancing — we conducted a snapshot analysis of Xperi data across 39 markets and 76 stations in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico between Feb. 15 and May 12, the height of the pandemic information rush:

When segmented across categories, this information appeared 1,810 times in news programs, 226 in news headlines, 445 in info URLs and 676 times in PSAs.

Among the reasons for this increase in use? Speed and ease of integration.

For example, Beasley Media Group quickly integrated messaging into an existing community program, and ran it across all 60 of their stations in very high rotation:

Beasley Community of Caring campaign Social distancing metadata on Beasley’s WMMR in Philadelphia

In Mexico, Grupo Formula created their own designs, including visuals for mask-wearing, stay-at-home, hand-washing and social distancing, for all their FM HD stations in major cities, including Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey:

Grupo Formula created their own designs, including visuals for mask-wearing, stay-at-home, hand-washing and social distancing, for their FM HD stations in major cities. The “stay at home” image is visible at right.

Other Mexico groups implementing PSA campaigns through HD Radio are Televisa Radio, Multimedios, Pergom and Grupo Oro. And Rogers Media in Canada is effectively using digital data fields in their HD Radio transmissions to convey news headlines and local community information.

During the most recent crisis, Beasley utilized enhanced PSA messaging on their QUU RDS systems, including a statement they shared on social media channels about their commitment to listeners and their families to promote positive change in the communities they serve and across our nation.

Digital Radio Key to Upgrading Emergency Alert Ecosystem

HD Radio Emergency Alerts are also invaluable community tools for broadcasters for emergency notifications.

The pandemic, and recent events around the protests, have reinforced the urgency of leveraging digital radio as an upgrade of the public alerting ecosystem — and our PSA data indicates that broadcasters are ready to implement it to better serve their communities.

A December 2018 report by the FCC’s Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council (CSRIC) recommended upgrading several aspects, including, geographic targeting, multimedia, resiliency and redundancy, accessibility of alert information and integration of alerts across devices.

Digital radio technology — through HD Radio — can enable these improvements now. At Xperi, we believe it should be utilized as an integral part of the collaborative effort to upgrade the nation’s public alerting capabilities.

Proven Value Over 100 Years

Radio is simply the most efficient and flexible way to provide news and entertainment across geographic and topical segments, a claim the numbers support and remains the most consumed media channel, according to Nielsen Audio Today 2019 (total persons 12+).

So, it’s no surprise that it’s thrived for 100 years ( and why at Xperi, we are devoting a year-long campaign to celebrate the milestone).

During our recent unprecedented crises, it’s been radio — and digital radio — that has helped to deliver the information listeners have needed in the most comprehensive and convenient way. And when life returns to normal and priorities shift from social distancing to socializing, digital radio, and specifically, HD Radio, will help lead the way, providing a complete experience around the news and entertainment consumers want — when they want it — in a way that fits their lifestyle. It doesn’t take a crisis to see the value of that.

Comment on this or any story. Email radioworld@futurenet.com with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject field.

The post Digital Radio Has Expanded Community Messaging appeared first on Radio World.

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Media Bureau Releases Agenda for ACDDE August 3 Virtual Workshop on Libraries and Broadband

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Waiver of Section 76.101 (Syndicated Exclusivity)

Sage Alerting Systems has released an update to its Model 3644 Digital ENDEC EAS units. The update is required to be installed before Oct. 28.

A company release explains, “A signing certificate used by FEMA to validate CAP alerts will expire on Oct 28, 2020, at 14:05:29 UTC. Sage has released a free firmware update that you must install to permit your ENDEC to continue to receive EAS CAP alerts from FEMA after that date.”

[Check Out More Products at Radio World’s Products Section]

In addition the update has tweaks to the SSL root certificates required for downloading alert audio files from state or county alert originators.

Explanatory release notes can be found here. Questions can be sent to support@sagealertingsystems.com.

 

The post Sage Updates ENDEC Firmware appeared first on Radio World.

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